Dear Gabi Bear and Mom
Even the idea of writing you two…of seeing your names side-by side, my breath stops. Together. Imagine the two of us dancing in the clouds, and me stumbling through the darkness below.
Mother’s Day days are always the toughest. Yet, I am grateful. It was a privilege to have the safety and security of motherhood and share it with my little girl. I am grateful for the signs you send me, both nuanced and overt, that affirm my soul’s most sincere belief: You are so very close although just beyond my grasp.
As I was preparing to attend college, one of the Lane hope boxes was what I pictured. The brochure would show the mother and daughter, with pieces of china and cheerleading sweaters. I never saw the Lane hope chest. I lost my mom at college. I was a zealous collector of all your materials to help me trace the path from childhood to adulthood. Making a career… Getting married… making a house… becoming a mother.